Evaluation of Atrial Fibrillation and Premature Ventricular Contractions due to Magnesium Sulfate Administration after Open Heart Surgery

One of the common complications of open heart surgery is AF and PVC arrhythmias. Since the highest share of care and treatment in cardiac arrhythmias, especially in critical care departments, is done by nurses, and in order to increase awareness for better nursing care, the current study was designed to evaluate the effect of magnesium sulfate on the incidence of AF and PVC after open heart surgery. In this semi-experimental study, 140 patients were randomly divided to intervention and control groups. Seventy patients (intervention group-magnesium sulfate) received 2 g of intravenous magnesium before surgery, 2 g during the operation, and 30 mg/kg on days one, two, three, and four after surgery, and 70 patients in the control group underwent surgery routinely. The serum level was measured before, during, and after the operation. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to analyze the qualitative variables (P > 0.05). The incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in the intervention group was 1.4% and in the control group, this was 10% (seven patients). P was 0.02 and the incidence of premature ventricular contractions in the intervention group was 24.2% (17 cases) and in the control group, this was 51% (36 patients), P = 0.03. Administration of magnesium sulfate before, during, and after open heart surgery seems to be useful in preventing new cases of atrial fibrillation and premature ventricular contractions. The results of this study can help improve nursing care in critical care departments.